Thursday, June 28

Friend tribute #1

I bought the coolest birthday card today. I wish I knew someone who was having a birthday soon. I also pulled out an old folder where I had kept drawings/letters/etc. that my best friend from childhood gave me. She's actually getting married in less than a month, and I have never even met her fiancee. Heck, I barely know anything about her anymore. But as I was reading over all these ridiculous pictures and letters she gave me, it brought me back to the time of our silly adventures and obsessive fads. I still laugh so hard at some of the pictures she sent me, and marvel at how creative she was at such a young age. It seems like it all happened ages ago, but I guess it's really been only 3 or 4 years since we stopped talking and hanging out. It's amazing what 3 or 4 years can do. We still love each other, but after high school our lives went such different directions it was hard to keep up. That folder brought back so many good memories, and sometimes I wish I could go back to the good ol' days. But I know God has different plans for our lives and I'm just grateful that I got to know her when I did. I don't know what is going to happen to our friendship, but I'll always love her and always miss her. I'm so happy for this next chapter in her life, it's just kinda wierd for me. I've known her since I was 2 years old. And now....she's getting married to some dude from Norway and moving there.

I guess the wierdest thing about this all is when I look back on how our lives have changed since high school. She's been all over the world, working on YWAM staff, and now getting married and moving across the ocean. I have....moved to St. Cloud. Still pretty much in the same place as I was 3 years ago, just at a different home and different school. I know this is where I need to be, but it seems like most of my high school friends have accomplished so much more since they graduated. It's just...wierd. Forget puberty, I say 18-25 is the most akward part of your life. It's when you decide how the rest of your life is going to turn out.

Anyway, I'd just like to leave a little tribute to Miss Meyer. You are so more awesome than totally awesome, and I hope God continues to bless your socks off as you start this new part of your life. I'll always love you.

Sunday, June 17

Uh-oh!

Not like I need a new internet distraction, but I found THE COOLEST website. I can see myself wasting countless hours looking at this site in the future....

Oh, and don't laugh unless you know me.

http://www.realsimple.com/

Thursday, June 14

In memory of someone I never knew

MONTREAT, N.C., JUNE 14—Mrs. Ruth Bell Graham, beloved wife of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, died at 5:05 p.m. today, at her home at Little Piney Cove in Montreat, N.C., surrounded by her husband and all five children. She was 87. A public funeral service to honor Mrs. Graham has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 16 in Anderson Auditorium at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, N.C. Details for this service will be released when available.

“Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team,” Mr. Graham said of his life-long marriage and ministry partner. “No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support.

“I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together,” Mr. Graham continued. “We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.” [from
http://www.billygraham.org/]

Wow. I open up my internet browser and this is the first bit of news I see. And my reaction? "Oh, no!" Wait a minute....'oh no' ?? I hear about people dying everyday, and it's her death that sparks my sorrow? Yeah, it's sad for her friends and family, but they are comforted because they know what happened to her. She's experiencing so much more joy now than anyone on this earth could imagine. What about all these people we cannot be so sure about? The people who- didn't make it to heaven?? Why doesn't news of their deaths break my heart at first sight? Well, maybe cause we're so used to it. School shootings, terrorrists, wars....what else is new? True, we can't dwell on the evils of this world. And we can't expect ourselves to save the world, much less save anyone's life. Only God can do that. But it kinda started me to thinkin'. We can't change the eternal destiny of anyone, but we can tell them how: by accepting grace from the only One who can determine what happens at the end of our lives. You'd think that'd be more important to me considering all the people I love who don't know Jesus.
Ouch.
I want the confidence Mr. Graham has about his future and the future of the ones he loves. Heavenly confidence.

Sunday, June 10

Slow and Steady wins the race (or at least that's what they say)

I'm slowly returning to bloggerville with hopes to turn this into a more reader-friendly area (or in otherwords, write things that are actually interesting and important). After talking with a friend this weekend who wants me to write a book about my crazy adventures, I'm considering to dwell more on memories and things I've learned rather than babbling on about what I did today and what I had to eat. Perhaps I should give a little summary/update of my life, however, since I've been gone so long. Basically, I still live in St. Cloud, desperately waiting for school to start again. In the meantime I babysit an adorable toddler and now work part-time at Sears while also playing in the Municipal Band and helping my band director organize music for pep band next year. Alright, that should be enough to catch you up. Oh, and I'm going to be legal in a couple days but I doubt that will significantly affect my social life. (Maybe due to the fact that there never was a social life to begin with...hahah.) I'm working to keep in touch better with my old St.Paul/Minneapolis friends and since so many of them have moved (or are moving) far far away I hope that this blog will help. And facebook. Gotta love facebook.
So anyhow, there's the summary of my life up to now. I'll start with the good stuff later.